Four water dams to be completed this year, enhance power generation, NA told

ISLAMABAD: Three new dams and Mangla Dam Raising Project under construction will be completed during the fiscal year 2012-13. They would combinely generate over 150 MegaWatt of electricity.

This was told by Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar in written reply to Naitonal Assembly on Thursday. The minister told the house that Mangala Dam Raising Project, Satpara, Gomal Zam and Darawat Dams would be completed during the current fiscal year.

About a question on re-start of electricity loadshedding, Minister for State on Water and Power Tasneem Qureshi told the house that two hours of load shedding was being carried out due to increase in demand.

“It would hopefully be over soon after the supply-demand balance is achieved,” said Qureshi.

The ministry of water and power, however, did not provide answer to the question on reasons in delay in the completion of construction work of Basha Dam and arrangment of funds.

The construction work of Neelum Jehlum Hyrdo Electric Power Project (NJHEP) is scheduled to be completed by November 2016. The physical progress on the project was 40 percent till last month. Once completed it would generate 969 MW, the minister said.

Less Cotton production this year

Minister for Textile Industry Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the house that cotton production was likely to decrease this year as 8 percent less area was sown during 2012-13 due to less irrigation water availability at the time of sowing.

Also, the minister said, the growers lost interest due to lower cotton prices but maintained that the prices were affected by international market prices. “All cotton producing countries had surplus supply this year,” said the minister.

The minister said that the total of 2, 34, 982 acres of cotton crop was damaged by rains and floods during 2012-13 in all four provinces of the country. While 62857 acres of cotton crop suffered partial damages.

Shahabuddin told the house that the government was taking long and short term steps in increasing the cotton production. It included introduction of high yielding varities and ensuring certified seed availability to the cotton growers.

Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Shah told the house that his ministry was preparing new Hajj policy for the year 2013 which would be submitted to cabinet for approval. However, the proposal of new Hajj expenses would be made after agreement with Saudi Arabia is made and fares are decided with the airline.